2 Pakistan brothers to be hanged for honour killing of sister

Lahore, Feb 29: In an unusual move, a Pakistani court today sentenced to death twice two brothers for killing their sister and her husband in 2009 to protect the family's "honour".

Ironically, the sentencing came on a day when Pakistan was celebrating its second Oscar win when filmmaker Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy's documentary on honour killings in the country won the prestigious award in Los Angles.

A sessions court's here sentenced to death Ahsan and Zeeshan Butt who had shot dead their sister, Saba, and her husband, Shafiq, for marrying out of their own will. Judge Naveed Iqbal also imposed a fine of Rs one million each on the convicted men.

The couple, who were residents of Yaki Gate area of Lahore's walled city, had married of their free will in 2009 and had moved away.

But Ahsan and Zeeshan invited them over for a meal and shot dead the couple only a few months after their marriage.

More than 500 men and women died in honour killings in 2015, according to the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan. Honour-killing is a big issue in Pakistan and every year dozens of women are killed.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said last week that there was no honour in honour-killing and promised to take measure to wipeout the practice.

PTI